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Gillian Hamilton states that “gas power is almost triple the cost of renewable energy and is thus not cost-competitive” (“Let’s not swap one resource curse for another”, October 10).
Like most “greenies” she spouts claims without any facts or figures to back them up. Rogue nation China imports thousands of tonnes of coal from SA, which provides low-cost electricity that allows it to undercut most countries’ production costs.
Using cheap, coal-fired electricity China manufactures 75% of the world’s solar panels, which Hamilton quaintly calls “renewable” energy. Also using coal-fired electricity, it manufactures the steel bearings for the wind turbines.
Another fact for Hamilton is that you cannot make steel using “renewable energy” — you need coke/coal to fire the converters. Besides, “renewable energy”, like perpetual motion, does not exist. And wind turbines each need several gallons of oil for lubrication, and actually use electricity from the grid to keep the blades turning for the sake of the bearings when there is no wind.
Using gas from fracking, some states in the US have halved the price of electricity. SA needs to proceed with all speed to allow exploration for oil and gas to produce low-cost electricity. The government must pay no attention to agenda-driven “economists” who, along with “climate scientists”, continually bend the facts to satisfy some greenie narrative. Together they make astrologists look respectable.
Dennis Hoines Via BusinessLIVE
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
LETTER: Bending the facts
Gillian Hamilton states that “gas power is almost triple the cost of renewable energy and is thus not cost-competitive” (“Let’s not swap one resource curse for another”, October 10).
Like most “greenies” she spouts claims without any facts or figures to back them up. Rogue nation China imports thousands of tonnes of coal from SA, which provides low-cost electricity that allows it to undercut most countries’ production costs.
Using cheap, coal-fired electricity China manufactures 75% of the world’s solar panels, which Hamilton quaintly calls “renewable” energy. Also using coal-fired electricity, it manufactures the steel bearings for the wind turbines.
Another fact for Hamilton is that you cannot make steel using “renewable energy” — you need coke/coal to fire the converters. Besides, “renewable energy”, like perpetual motion, does not exist. And wind turbines each need several gallons of oil for lubrication, and actually use electricity from the grid to keep the blades turning for the sake of the bearings when there is no wind.
Using gas from fracking, some states in the US have halved the price of electricity. SA needs to proceed with all speed to allow exploration for oil and gas to produce low-cost electricity. The government must pay no attention to agenda-driven “economists” who, along with “climate scientists”, continually bend the facts to satisfy some greenie narrative. Together they make astrologists look respectable.
Dennis Hoines
Via BusinessLIVE
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
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Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.